That Basketball Life

Here at That Basketball Life we have spent a lot of time discussing drills that can be used to help improve your basketball game.  There are a ton of drills for dribbling, shooting, agility, defense and all the rest of the good stuff.  What I haven't spent a lot of time doing is discussing how you can incorporate all of the drills into a useful plan to help take your game to the next level.  In order to do this you need to incorporate a plan that not only teaches you how to use the skills but also when to use them.   The "when" is done with the mind processing information.  At first your mind will be slow to process this information as you will spend more time thinking but eventually the thinking will become reactive and instinctive.  To nurture this process, you need to be involved in battles against other players.  I love small sided games (SSG) for this reason.  Going 1v1 or 2v2 or even going 3v2 and learning how to capitalize on the advan...

This is another installment in our series on the best basketball dribble any player can have in their tool belt, the crossover.

Using a crossover dribble is one of the best tools you can use when playing basketball.  The trick is knowing when to use it. Over the next few weeks, I will post some videos that have some of the bet players or trainers explain the move and when to use it. I want to start off with this good one from the GOAT .

One of the most difficult things to teach young players is also one of the most important in determining how good a 1v1 player your going to be.  The move in question is what I like to call "Squaring up your opponent."  What this means is that when you receive the ball in a position to score, the first thing you do is turn and face the basket in a triple threat position.  At a young age this move is instinctively difficult because young players feel that they are not protecting the ball when facing the basket.  Their natural instinct is to turn their back to the basket so they can protect the ball.  What this does is it prevents the player from surveying the floor and/or breaking down his player.  Another move for kids this age is that they may turn and face the basket but they forget completely about protecting the ball.  This is one of the reasons you see a lot of jump balls in youth games in addition to seeing many balls being ripped out of the hands of players by the oppo...

Today we will be getting back to discussing 1v1 basketball. What we want to talk about are the qualities and characteristics of successful 1v1 players. Athleticism - this is not the be all end all but it is a very important quality to have. Most successful 1v1 players in basketball are great athletes. Although much of being an athlete is God given there are some things that all players can do to increase their athleticism. Remember your goal is to make yourself the best you that you can be. You can do this by getting in the best shape possible and by getting closer to your true athletic potential. Footwork - this is a very important element that can be improved by everyone.  The more you practice your 1v1 moves (jab steps, rip moves, ball fakes, etc.) the more the moves get committed to muscle memory. Dribbling and ball handling - another important element that can be improved on by everyone.  Be comfortable with the shoulder to hip dribble blow by along with the conc...

Continuing our focus on 1v1 play, today I've decided to lay out progressions to help players improve their 1v1 skills. Dribble Drives Square up to the man covering you.  You will not be effective until you feel comfortable in the triple threat position while under pressure.  Players need to realize that the best way to beat a man that is covering you is to square him up and get him off balance. Direct path to basket - we need to teach players that when you make your move to the basket don't go around the person covering, but rather go by him. Eat up the space between the defender and you as quickly as possible. The quicker you get to his hip the better. Attack forward leg - If you see a defender not playing you straight up but he/she is rather trying to force you in a certain direction, try to attack the front foot. This is the best path to take when the defender's front foot is even with your body or into your body. If the defender has the outside foot beyond your...

On the night that Kobe is having his number retired let's honor him with a video that I found on You Tube.  This video shows his skill in breaking down a defender 1 on 1.  

We're going to be spending a bit of time over the next few weeks talking about how players can improve their 1v1 game. Some who know me might ask why would I spend time on a topic like this considering my philosophy on the game is so team orientated? My answer to that question is simple. The most basic part of the game is being able to break down the player covering you. It is such an important element to the game because if you have players on your team who can successfully break down their player, you automatically have the odd man situations which are at the heart of our offensive philosophy. Think about it this way. Our offensive philosophy is about putting pressure on the defense. We try to do this through penetration. This penetration will happen either by dribble entry or pass entry to the post. Dribble entry can happen through ball screens, dribble handoffs, or through dribble penetration. Ball screens and dribble handoffs require 2 of our players to be involved while dribb...

A follow up on the post from last week on beating your players one on one.  This video emphasizes how important it is to attack the front leg of a defender and explains why it is important and the most effective way to beat a player who is covering you.  

In it's simplest form, basketball success on the offensive end is about breaking down the defense.  The basic building block of that strategy is the ability to beat the man who is covering you.  Once you're able to beat that man then you begin the process of determining whether you're ability to read a defenses reactions is faster than the defensive rotation.  As an offensive player you need to stay one or two steps ahead of the defense.  You need to anticipate what the defense is going to do once you set the dominoes falling when you beat your man.  The key to get the whole process started is beating the man that is covering you. There are some qualities that you need to keep in mind when you are trying to beat the man covering you: Be aggressive with your moves.  Do not sit there spending too much time dribbling in front of the man covering you.  He will time your dribble and beat you.  Rather be aggressive.  Make a strong move quickly. Feel comfortable with fakes, ...

Nice drill I found on the internet. It emphasizes 1v1 finishing going to the basket.